


The Longest Day

by theriverstyx



Series: Alec and Magnus's Home for Abused and Neglected Children [1]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments (Movies)
Genre: AU, Abuse, Adoption, All Human AU, Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, M/M, No Magic AU, alec lightwood - Freeform, lightwood-bane family, magnus bane - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:04:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriverstyx/pseuds/theriverstyx
Summary: When Alec and Magnus get a phone call from Jace, and their whole life changes.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a long day for Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane, and all they wanted to do was crawl into bed and cuddle with each other. 

 

They both came into their New York loft and crashed. 

 

Alec fell onto the couch, sick and tired of his publisher being on his back about a new novel. He'll get it done when he gets it done, ok?

 

Magnus was a little less graceful.  He didn’t bother with falling onto a piece of furniture. No, he opted to fall right onto the floor instead. Melting down into a little puddle of Magnus on the rug by the door. 

The demand for his makeup was skyrocketing. He could not keep his liquid lipsticks or eyeshadows in stock. Add to that the launch of a series of highlighters and eyeliners, and Magnus was a complete zombie by the time he came home at night. 

 

Alec sighed when he rolled over and saw that Magnus was on the floor in front of the couch. He pushed himself off of the sofa, and slipped himself onto the floor beside his boyfriend, curling up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. 

 

“How was work, darling,” Magnus breathed as he rolled to face Alec. 

 

Alec groaned. 

 

“If you want to call being hounded over the new novel so much that I can’t focus enough to write said novel “good”, then it was good,” Alec said sarcastically, earning a laugh from Magnus. 

 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Maybe things will look up tomorrow?” Magnus said as Alec nuzzled his head into his chest. 

 

“I don’t want to think about tomorrow.” 

 

Magnus sighed, placing his cheek on top of Alec’s head. “Neither do I.” 

 

They stayed like that for a long while, Magnus pulling out his phone and taking pictures of them with Snapchat filters, waving off Alec’s complaints when he put a few of the cuter selfies on his story. “It’s for the fans, darling, they adore you,” he’d say. 

Alec didn’t buy that, but if taking stupid selfies and showing them off to the millions of followers he had made Magnus happy, then Alec wasn’t one to complain too seriously. 

 

Magnus laid his phone down, facing Alec and leaning his forehead against the author’s. “I love you,” he whispered, making Alec’s heart melt in his chest. 

 

“I love you too,” he said, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. That sweet kiss didn’t stay sweet for long. It turned to hot and heavy making out, searing kisses on each other’s neck, face, and anywhere else there was visible skin.  

 

Alec was in the middle of kissing the right side of Magnus’s neck when his phone started blaring the annoying ringtone Jace set for only his calls. 

 

“Damn,” Alec breathed, pushing off the floor and walking toward his phone. 

 

Magnus sat with his body propped up on his elbows, giving Alec a “this better be worth it or you’re losing your brother” look. 

 

Alec nodded, silently agreeing with the look on his boyfriend’s face as he pressed the answer button on his phone. 

 

“Yes, Jace?” he asked, trying not to sound annoyed. 

 

“Alec, can you come over please?” he said. Alec heard small sounds of crying in the background, and what sounded like a “shhh” noise. 

 

Alec’s faced scrunched up like he was confused. “Um, yeah. I’m bringing Magnus though. Is that a _baby_ I hear?” 

 

Jace was quick to answer, “I expected you to, and no, it isn’t. He’s three. Well, three and a half . That’s not a baby, or at least I think it isn’t.”

 

Alec shook his head, obviously puzzled by the situation. 

 

“Ok, I’ll be there in 10, bye.” 

 

Jace sighed in relief. “Thanks, man. Bye.”

 

Alec hung up the phone and turned to Magnus who was already ready to leave the apartment. 

 

“What was that about?” he asked as he laced their hands together. 

 

Alec used his free hand to run it through his hair. “No idea, but there was a crying child.”

 

Magnus nodded his head. “So I heard.” 

 

*********

 

Alec opened the door to Jace’s apartment, his ears immediately assaulted by the sounds of a child’s wailing cries. 

 

Jace came through the door of the bedroom, holding a sobbing, wiggling 3 year old boy with black straight hair and fair skin. He reminded Magnus of Alec, with the exception of blue an purple bruises littering his face, so much that his steps faltered a little. 

 

“Oh thank the angel!” Jace exclaimed, bouncing the child on his hip. That only made the kid cry harder. 

 

“I can’t get this kid to be quiet, Alec, help,” Jace pleaded. Alec let go of Magnus’s hand and took the kid away from Jace. 

 

He held the boy firmly to his chest, shushing him ever so quietly, and letting him use his jacket as a tissue. 

 

The kid still wouldn’t calm down, so Alec broke out the old French lullaby that he used to sing to Max when he was younger, whispering it softly in the little boy’s ear while rocking him back and forth in his arms. 

 

The crying stopped, the struggling stopped, and the kid fell asleep in Alec’s arms. 

 

Jace stood awe-struck at the sight before him. “That bugger has been inconsolable for the past _three hours_ , and you come in here and quiet him in 5 minutes flat,” he said shaking his head. 

 

Alec smiled and shook his head, glancing over at Magnus, but the look on his face made him do a double take. 

 

Magnus was staring at the child with wide, wonder filled eyes. His eyes flickered up to Alec who offered the child to Magnus. 

 

Magnus opened his arms and held the kid, rocking him when he started to get fussy from the switch. 

 

He settled into Magnus’s arms, humming softly as Magnus used his fingers to brush the black hair away from the boy’s face. 

 

“What’s his name?” Magnus whispered, not looking away from the boy’s face. 

 

Jace plopped down on the couch, leaning his head back till it rested on the cushion. “Max, actually.” 

 

Alec breathed a laugh at the irony, brushing his fingertips down the boy’s arm. 

 

“So, what’s his story?” Alec asked and Jace sighed. 

 

“Well, he’s pretty heavily abused, and if you saw him when we found him, you could see it. I bought him a pair of pants and a jumper to hide the bruises. That didn’t help what’s on his face, though.” 

 

Alec felt Magnus stiffen beside him. “His dad?” Alec asked. 

 

Jace shook his head. “His mom. She was rough on him, too. We found him in the basement. Looks like he hasn’t eaten in days.” 

 

Alec opened his mouth to ask a question, but Magnus beat him to it. 

 

“Where is he going?” he asked without looking up. 

 

Jace got up from the couch and gave them a soft, hesitant smile, and Alec already knew the answer. 

 

“Jace, n-“ Alec started, but Jace interrupted him. 

 

“Only for a week! I promise!” Jace said quickly.

 

Magnus looked between them, confused. “What?” 

 

Jace was quick to jump on the question. “I was hoping you guys would take him for awhile so I can figure something out. The kid doesn’t have any family, so he’ll most likely end up in the system.”

 

Alec shook his head no, opening his mouth to refuse. 

 

“We’ll do it,” Magnus said immediately. 

 

“Like Magnus said, we can’t- _wait, what_?” Alec said, turning to face Magnus. 

 

Magnus shot him a glare, turning toward the door with the kid. 

 

“I said we’ll do it. Take your time Jace,” he said and then he was gone.

 

Alec stared after him looking pleasantly surprised. 

 

Jace clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s just a week, dude. No need to get so up in arms about it.” 

 

Alec shook his head smiling. “No, it’s not that. I was all for keeping the kid- Max- until whenever you needed, I just didn’t think Mags would be,” he said as he went to go find Magnus. 

 

He go to the door, turning again to look at Jace. “And, Jace, take your time figuring it out,” he said goodbye to Jace and shut the door. “Besides, I have a feeling Max will be will us a lot longer than a week,” he whispered to himself as he went to go find his boyfriend. 

 

*********

 

Magnus and Alec stopped at a kids clothing store, picking up the essentials for Max. They bought clothes (mostly picked by Magnus), toys, and a gray blanket and light green stuffed elephant that Alec picked out.

 

Max slept soundly in Magnus’s arms until they got back to the house, where Magnus laid him on the bed in his and Alec’s room before shutting the door and coming back into the living room where Alec was. 

 

He sighed, slipping down into Alec’s arms and burrowing his head into Alec’s chest, feeling his eyes prick with tears. 

 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Alec asked quietly, kissing Magnus’s head. 

 

“Alec, that was me once. I was the abused kid who ended up in the system,” he sat up abruptly, frantically searching Alec’s eyes with his own, “We can’t let that happen to him. I-I mean You’re the first person to ever love me, an-and we were 21 when we met. Alec, I went _21 years_ without someone to love me. We can’t let that happen to him. Wee can’t,” he sobbed. 

 

Alec shushed him and wiped the tears that had fallen on his cheeks. “We won’t, Magnus, don’t worry.” 

 

Magnus nodded silently, leaning his head back onto Alec’s chest, falling asleep instantly. 

 

Alec was nodding off himself when he heard wailing, terrified cries coming from his bedroom. He slipped Magnus onto the couch, covering him with a blanket quickly before heading toward the little boy who was the source of the cries. 

 

It had been a long day for Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane, and it was _far_ from over. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, I bumped Max's age up a little. He's three and a half now, just so you know. Enjoy!

Alec opened the door slowly as to not frighten the little boy in the room. He was met with a cowering, shaking child huddled in the covers.

 

He sat on the bed next to Max, who tried (and failed) to hold in his sobs and tears.  Alec went to smooth his hair, but stopped short when Max flinched violently. 

Alec carried on with his action, smoothing the hair that was sticking up at odd angles, shushing the child softly. 

 

Max looked up at him with wide blue eyes that were still slightly leaking tears. 

 

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Max. I’ll never hurt you,” he promised. Max looked at him skeptically, but Alec could tell he really just wanted to be cuddled. 

 

“N-no hurt?” he asked in a soft, scared voice.  Alec’s heart broke.

 

“No hurt,” he swore. Max nodded, recognizing him as the person who sang him to sleep, and started crawling over to Alec and climbing into his lap. Alec felt himself tear up at how trusting this kid was after the hell he’d been through. 

 

Alec held him close, shushing his cries softly and rocking him gently as his tears stopped. The door creaked open and there stood Magnus, his hair mussed with sleep. Alec’s world stopped spinning. 

 

Max tensed and cuddled closer to Alec’s chest, scared of the strange man in the doorway. 

 

Magnus came closer, noticing how Alec’s face contorted with worry, to see if something was wrong with Max. 

 

Max started to cry again, this time catching onto Alec’s tee shirt. Magnus stopped walking toward the pair and gave Alec pained, pleading eyes. 

 

“No, Max, he won’t hurt you. He’s nice,” Alec reassured. Max shook his head, not liking the idea of someone _else_ he didn’t know coming close to him. Mommy brought home a lot of strangers.  They made him hurt all over. Strangers, Max decided, are never good. 

 

“Max, buddy, I’m not going to hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again if I have anything to do with it,” Magnus said, and Max’s body relaxed slightly. 

 

Magnus came to them, sitting beside Alec on the bed, tracing the features on the little boy’s face. Max was scared, at first, that the man would hit him, but the blows never came, so Max thought it was safe to lean into the touch for just _one second_. 

 

Magnus smiled as the boy grew more comfortable with him. Max’s eyes wandered up to his, making direct, slightly scared eye contact with him. 

 

“No hurt?” he asked Magnus the same question he asked Alec earlier, and Magnus felt the weight of the small question like he would have never believed. 

 

“Never,” Magnus said, continuing the strokes he was giving Max’s face. 

 

Max nodded, sighing contentedly, gripping Alec’s shirt a little less since he wasn’t scared anymore, but keeping a slight grip to make sure he couldn’t be ripped away easily. 

 

Alec started humming the French lullaby from earlier, and Max cuddled into him and closed his eyes. 

 

He fell into a light sleep, still holding onto Alec’s shirt. 

 

Alec looked to Magnus sadly. “Nightmares, Mags, horrible ones.” 

 

Magnus shook his head angrily. “I don’t know what his bitch of a mother did to him, but we’re talking to Jace tomorrow,” he said, leaving absolutely no room for Alec to argue (he wasn’t going to anyway). 

 

“I’ll call him first thing tomorrow and tell him to come over before Max wakes up hopefully,” he said as he laid Max back down in the bed, and going to his own with Magnus. 

 

He held Magnus to his chest, burying his face into his hair. He knew he needed to know out what Max’s mom did to him, he wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to.

 


End file.
